Strength coaching for men on GLP-1 medications
The scale can’t tell muscle from fat. Your training has to.
GLP-1 medications take the weight off. Without the right training and protein, a large share of that weight can be muscle — the tissue that holds your strength, your joints, and your metabolism together. Vonburne is online coaching built to protect it, founded by a veteran and former intelligence analyst who trains by the numbers.
Online only. Train at your gym or at home. Built for men 35–65, veterans, and service members.
What could your weight loss be made of?
Based on the STEP 1 trial body-scan substudy, where lean mass made up about 39% of the weight lost on semaglutide (Wilding et al., NEJM, 2021). Participants were not on a structured strength program. Individual results vary.
Three things your prescription doesn’t handle
Muscle goes with the fat
Eating far less means your body breaks down muscle along with fat unless it gets a reason to keep it. Heavy, progressive strength training and enough protein are that reason.
Your recovery budget shrinks
Lower intake, nausea, and fatigue on injection days mean the program you ran at 25 won’t work now. Training has to be planned around your dosing week, not a generic calendar.
Stopping is the hard part
In a STEP 1 follow-up, participants regained about two-thirds of the weight they’d lost within a year of stopping (Wilding et al., 2022). The muscle and habits you build now decide what you keep later.
Run like a mission, not a motivation app
Vonburne was founded by a U.S. military veteran and certified personal trainer. The method is the same one used in intelligence work: establish a baseline, track what changes, and report what the data actually says. Every client gets a documented starting point, a written plan, and a re-test report every 12 weeks, so you can see whether you’re keeping muscle instead of hoping you are.
This program is for you if you’re a man between 35 and 65, you’re on a GLP-1 or coming off one, and you can train at least three times a week. It isn’t for you if you want a quick aesthetic change or daily motivational texts.
How it works
Baseline assessment
Strength benchmarks, a movement screen, injury history, your dose schedule, and body measurements, all done remotely.
A plan built around your dosing week
Hardest sessions land on your best days. Lighter work and recovery fall where side effects usually hit.
Protein and recovery targets
Simple daily protein goals you can actually hit with a smaller appetite. No meal plans, no medical advice.
Weekly check-ins
Send your training log and a short form. Your program is adjusted to what happened, not what was planned.
Re-test every 12 weeks
Benchmarks re-measured against your baseline, with a written report.
One program for the whole arc, not just the first few months
On the medication
Protect muscle while the weight comes off.
Tapering or stopping
Adjust training and protein as appetite returns, so the loss holds.
For the long run
Move into the Vonburne Longevity Protocol: strength, aerobic capacity, and joint health, decade by decade.
Choose your level of support
Self-guided program
$147 one-time
The full 12-week dosing-week training plan, protein guide, and re-test checklist. Run it on your own.
Buy the programGroup coaching
$175 / month
Shared programming, a weekly group check-in, and access to the coach for questions. Quarterly re-tests.
Book a fit call1:1 coaching
$500 / month
Fully individual programming, weekly personal check-ins with video form review, and a written re-test report every 12 weeks. Limited spots.
Book a fit callGet the free GLP-1 training brief
A two-page plan: how to lay out a training week around your injection day, and a protein checklist for a smaller appetite. Sent to your inbox.
Questions
Do I need my doctor’s approval?
Yes. Before you start, confirm with your prescriber that you’re cleared for strength training. Your intake form asks you to confirm this.
Is this medical advice?
No. Vonburne provides training and general nutrition coaching only. Medication, dosing, and anything medical stay with your prescriber.
Do I need a gym?
A gym gives the best results, but plans can be built for a home setup with adjustable dumbbells or a basic rack.
I’ve never lifted seriously. Is that a problem?
No. Programming starts from your baseline and progresses from there.
What if I stop my medication?
That’s what the tapering phase is for. Your training and protein targets change as your appetite comes back.
I have old injuries from service. Can I still do this?
Usually, yes. Injury history is part of the baseline assessment, and exercises are chosen around it. Anything that needs medical evaluation gets referred out.
Keep the muscle. Lose the fat.
Book a 15-minute fit callVonburne provides fitness coaching, not medical care. Nothing on this page is medical advice or a guarantee of results. Talk to your healthcare provider before starting any exercise program, especially while taking prescription medication.